What should semen look like?

The above picture may be a bit confronting to some. But of course, there is no such thing as confronting on this site. After all, this is a blog about the human body, and semen is a crucial part of the male sexual anatomy.

Scenario one: You are a male that has just ejaculated and you are looking at your mess.

Scenario two: Your partner has just ejaculated and you are looking at his mess.

When looking at the mess known as semen, a common thought that arises is how semen should look. Semen is a fluid that originates in the seminal vesicle. It is eventually discharged from the male body during a process known as ejaculation. Semen is most often ejaculated with spermatozoa.

What should semen look like?

The typical appearance of sperm is white, with maybe a grey or yellow tint. However semen is not white, it is clear. The viscosity of semen when it is fresh results in light being reflected in such a way that our eyes perceive it as white. As the viscosity of the semen breaks down with time, the semen becomes clear. Maybe try this with a used condom.

Upon ejaculation, it is typical for one part of the semen to coagulate immediately to form globules, whilst another part remains watery. Therefore, do not be alarmed if your semen looks clumpy, this is typical!

It is important to understand that the typical appearance of semen is not consistent and varies hour to hour, day to day, male to male. It depends upon the state of a persons health, the frequency of ejaculation, sperm count, water consumption, diet etc.

What should semen NOT look like?

If the semen has a red or brown streak, this indicates the presence of blood. A possible cause of this could be a broken blood vessel in the urethra, which may not be a serious. However, it could also be an indication of a serious problem, including a problem of the seminal vesicles, testicles or prostrate. The safest approach is to see a doctor when the semen has this appearance.

My semen does not look like any of these descriptions?

The two best explanations for this is that it isn’t semen or there is a serious abnormality. We recommend you seek medical attention.